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NBA Picks

Basketball Playoff Picks of the Day: Sunday, April 16th

We’re a perfect 2-0 in our playoff picks, but a loss on the Pacers and Cavs game dropped us to 2-1 on the day. Here on Sunday with another four games lined up, I’m back to bring you some more winning NBA Picks!

With the news that Isaiah Thomas tragically lost his sister in a car accident over the weekend, this series takes a huge shift before it even begins. While it’s unfortunate for the entire Thomas family and the Celtics in general, I’d be surprised if Thomas misses this game tonight. That being said, his mind is going to be nowhere near TD Garden tonight and that may hurt the Celtics’ Game 1 chances.

We’ve already seen two lower seeded teams get straight up wins in Game 1 over the weekend and of all the games here on Sunday, this one has the greatest chances of the underdog cashing and potentially getting the win overall.

The Bulls are as good or better in the backcourt than the Celtics and they have the defensive weapons to slow down Thomas and shut down Avery Bradley. If that happens, the Bulls also have the depth and defense to stop Boston. It all comes down to making shots if you’re the Bulls, which if you’ve watched this team at all you’ll know is no guarantee.

However, with Rondo healthy and this team seemingly gelling as they head into the playoffs, I expect a strong effort from them. If they can slow down the Celtics, this is going to be a lower scoring game and one where the Bulls have great NBA Odds right now.

When it comes to playoff basketball, normally defenses get tighter and scores start to dip. Last night we saw a pair of games where both teams failed to get above 100 and there is a chance a couple more games follow that route on Sunday.

However, the Thunder and Rockets will not follow that script. With a Russell Westbrook versus James Harden game, this is going to be a high-scoring affair that could be money in the bank with an over play.

Their last two regular season games flew over the posted total at tip off and more games with both teams at 110-plus will happen, especially early in the series. Here in Game 1, I expect both teams to take the first two or three-quarters to feel one another out and play at a faster pace.

Mike D’Antoni’s offense is going to be pushing the pace in this one and the Thunder will play right along on the road. Over the regular season, the Thunder played at a pace of over 100 possessions per game and if that continues or the game gets even faster here on the road, look for this one to finish with a final score about 119-112 for your MLB picks.